Dirakkis Turn 9
Actions: The Peters: For the first time in the recorded history of Peter, Peter had to face the facts that there were significant groups of Non-Peters with distinct ways of life. At first, this revelation was slightly startling, but after careful and deep completely objective analysis, Peter found that tests of all kinds conclusively showed that the Peter way of life was superior to all other forms of sentient existence. This was not spoken out of pride, but out of fact. Peter harbored no ill will towards the non-Peters, in fact, the ones they had experienced so far were surprisingly pleasant and informative, but they still were not Peter. This increasing Peter awareness lead to a distinct awareness of just how Non-Peter-ey these Non-Peters are, and the consequence of this was what the Non-Peters call "culture", but what Peters just referred to as fact. (Actions 1-4 Culture, Peter becoming Self-Aware that they are Peter, and that others are not Peter) Stahl: The Steel dragon was earnest. He was finally back into his prime, and this time he had no intent of losing his edge. He began immediately to hold a daily training session with one of his young, restless platinum-generation charges at a time. If they aspired to little in the martial arts, he took the time to have a talk with them on the culture of their people, or to teach them something of the world outside the capital. (Tech: army raising (military school) 1) The rest of his day was usually spent training with his men. They sought strength in the magma, to little success thus far. Perhaps with more experienced eyes they would unlock the secrets of harnessing the heat of the mountain at a whim. And so, he would join the Long-gang training in the magma (turn 2 military tech: MAGMA KUNG FU) Further south, Liu Chii sat in front of a map of his recently established mining colonies. Drumming his hard fingers on the desk, he decided he needed more resources for this venture. The gold council had asked him to build a port city. He doubted thy realized the immensity of this task, or the danger involved with Stahl living near the sea. He would need to buy oil from the Skaldeans or the Stormborn. (The rust would take them to an early grave in a decade of they didn't maintain themselves.) He sent out the requisition for oil, more workers, and a contingent of 50 steel born for protection from the unknown, as well as the continued protection of the city. He asked for all of this, and he didn't even know if they would be able to find a good mountain or rock wall to dig into. (Turn 3&4 expand south (add 150 wealth/+5 to the turn)) Skaldaea: Despite the failures experienced towards the adoption of the uniforms, Amaranth insisted upon their adoption. By applying these uniforms only to the small, professional military permanently raised by the League, and allowing for each band to customise a small patch that would be applied on the right upper arm, Amaranth hoped the idea would be adopted without too much fuss. However, the country lacked the infrastructure to provide these goods. This must have been the problem plaguing the League during the various attempts to equip its forces. Therefore, after a number of months of correspondence between Amaranth and Tamer, the pair decided to begin the construction of a number of factories along the rivers leading into Tamer's Shallows, converting the area into an industrial heartland, and providing the League with the weight of material to improve itself. (Slow Growth Military Tech x 2) In an attempt to end the religious turmoil that filled the various cities of the League, Raven called for a synod to take place in Skaldaea proper, to work out the various debates, and present an orthodox form of Progenitism. (Religionx1). Following the successful campaign by Amaranth, and the recapture of most of Flenser, Amaranth had founded the city of Prathe on the southern coast of Della, to serve as a southern port city. As the small army rested on its laurels there, securing the surrounding area and pacifying any remaining tribes that still opposed them, Amaranth began to undertake the paperwork and various qualifications necessary to join the Skaldaean League. (Expansionx1). Zinbiel: Nine wars out of ten, they would win. But this war is our war.” Pyth was in a panic so he was doing what he did best, giving a speech. Unfortunately Rak and Swanky were amongst the crowd. “So we have a ninety percent chance of dying. Cool, I’d rather not take those odds.” If looks could kill, Pyth would have killed Swanky right then. “Sorry. Please continue.” Swanky sheepishly added like Pyth would even consider stopping. “What do they have? Birds? That’s it. We have snakes, rats, and insects. Clearly the perfect counter.” “Birds eat all of those.” Rak stated. It was the first thing Rak had said since the rebellion, which general means he had an idea, and in fact he did. “Well what would you do smarty? That is all we have. Rats, snakes, flies, bees, dolphins, rabbits, and a two year old with wolves. And stop saying we need help. There is no one else.” “Send the dolphins north for help. This rebellion has showed others have to be out there. Maybe they can help. (Raise Navy 1). In the meantime, use the flak crossbowapults to hold the birds off, and have the bees flank the tamers. By my estimates there are five or six of them.” (Raise Army 2). A voice spoke up from the back “So you want to send our tamers out to die.” “Oh hey Edu, I didn’t know you were here.” Pyth was trying to keep the mood light. “Fine. I’ll personally lead a group of ice ships with them, and I already said we will have the flak crossbowapults assist the bee tamers. As far as the future goes, I want you to train the young one.” With that Rak left, once again showing his command and power over everyone else. “Does he want me to die?” Edu questioned loudly, but everyone had already left. “Fine. Kill me. See what happens!” (Military Raising Tech 4) Akachk: Songi finds his eyes drawn to the strange pole and its markings. Akachk were known to construct such things, usually as a testament to their ancestors, but... he had never seen one like this before. Carved of a strange black rock, it seemed to pulse in time with the Dark Moon- and he could swear its shape was... shifting, ever so slightly. Not when looking directly at it, but out of the corner of his eye... He didn't like this place, Songi decided. Something unnatural had happened here. Drawn out of his stupor by Asab's shouted warning, the young Akachk shakes his head, clearing such thoughts from his mind. The old man was right, he had come here to learn something, not quake in fear like a hatchling seeing a Sage for the first time. (1-2, Naval Technology) As their lands grow, so to do the number of kikadang. With herds larger than ever thought possible, a number of ambitious shepards have agreed to head south together, and establish a settlement at the neck of the peninsula. The party is tentatively termed the 'Okwe Expedition' and prepares to set out within a fortnight. (Expand South) Finally, Sakahi has found a use for these Akachk who insist on calling themselves his 'apprentices'. He was in desperate need of samples from the mines to continue his experiments, and far, far too busy to collect these on his own time. If these 'apprentices' of his can accomplish this, maybe he'll actually consider teaching them something... The dozen or so lizard-folk who have made their homes in Sakahi's observatory live under his strict rules. He sets the daily schedule and is an unwavering task-master- gruff and unsociable, he doesn't spend time with the apprentices outside of work. While the students have the utmost respect for their teacher, and throw themselves into the work wholeheartedly... they can't help but wonder if so much time spent looking at the Dark moon has addled their teacher some. He often speaks with himself, and spends long stretches of time observing the sky, performing calculations no one else can understand. But still, this is the Akachk who unraveled the mystery of the Dark Moon. If he wants them to dig around in the mines, there must be a good reason... (4, Military) Commera: Linmer Adom watched as his crew struggled to pull in the sail. This whole sailing thing was easy once you got the hang of it. "Stɪt mɔrə lɪn mɔrə, lɒs tɪt tɪn vʌr!" He hoped the Medium was running smoothly in his abscence. He was more than a little worried – he'd heard of businesses crashing after just a couple months without their leader, not to mention a two year sabbatical. His wife read his face and comforted him. As long as they followed his instructions, there was no possible way they could've missed an issue. Meanwhile, some important pens were absent from the Minister's press conference. Minister Elher Missan had sought power for one reason – to break up trade monopolies. Of course, he hadn't told anyone because he would have been assassinated in his sleep if he had. Several very powerful people were kept very powerful by their monopolies. But now he had enough time in office that he was ready. "Aripun corn." The crowd rolled their collective eyes. "A novelty and a luxury. It costs four times Coronan corn, yet it doesn't taste any better." He could tell that this statement was unpopular. "Hafuma iron. Too expensive to be useful. Too ugly to wear as jewelry. Why?" "Several people have become very rich by ensuring that both remain a rarity. They have a monopoly on trade partners. I don't need to tell you that monopolies are bad for everyone except the monopolist." He scanned the crowd to make sure that he wouldn't have to explain why monopolies are bad. "So why have we allowed this? Why have I allowed this?" The best thing a Commeran minister can do is to criticize himself in a speech. "The answer is that some very powerful people will lose their income if that happens, and they've done everything in their power to hang on to that. In fact, if I get assassinated, I have a standing order that my replacement have them arrested for murder." Elher chuckles, but he's serious. "Because, I am now ordering the monopolist traders to release the locations of their trade partners and allow unobstructed trade between our two nations. If we do not have the information and the diplomatic go-ahead in one month, the federal government will interrogate the crew members of the Sitrak and the Faicor and seize the private assets of Governor Conhale Litton, Iltin Adomon, Damim Purom, Haval Umin, and Ora Mertin. Governor Conhale Litton will also be stripped from power." "In addition, I find it inappropriate for Governors to work the markets. Henceforth, Governors and Mayors will not be allowed to take in any substantial income other than their salary. Governor Conhale will be allowed to choose between his trading company and his seat as Governor, and if he complies, he will be allowed to keep his assets that have been previously acquired." "Mælɪt, ɑdom kɑʃɛrə, ɪt hɑnliz." (Improve trade yield: 1-4) Ramkarh: Elarin and her cabal left the spectacle in the packed courtyard shortly after it had begun. The festival was showy as always and would no doubt have been enjoyable to watch, but there were more important things on her mind than entertainment. She adjusted her glove as she led her sisters to the kitchen tents just outside the festival grounds, clutching a small vial in her hand. It had taken some doing to come by them, but a few priestesses of other temples knew certain applications of herbs unknown to most. Amlet root, steeped in a tea, was a common solution for aches and pains. Crushed into powder, however, it created a potent, though nonlethal poison that could knock out a person for close to an hour when inhaled. She smeared a small amount onto her fingers and entered. The chief cook looked up from his cauldron of stew. “Ey now, who said you could come in here? We’ve got plenty of work to get done before the feast and we don’t need any temple types running around underfoot.” Elarin approached him smiling. “My sisters and I were sent to provide a blessing for the food. I hope it won’t be any trouble.” He was caught off guard by the sudden intrusion and was only able to reply with a muttered “I wasn’t told… I’m sure it-“ before she raised a gloved hand to his face and he dropped to the floor. Scanning the rest of the tent, she saw that her sisters had managed to similar effect with the rest of the cooks. Good. The blessing would take time. (Culture x2 Military x2) Kingdom of the Stars: Trade had come to the people. Surface iron, collected from surface stone found all along the taiga, flowed out of the kingdom. This unprecedented demand drained all of the easily reached, leading the metal hunters further and further from their villages. The stone was running out. This news bothered the mother. Her children relied on these stones for fresh livestock. The mother tasked Olge, one of her many sun -worshipping acolytes, with finding a source of those rocks for the hunters. (Mining mil tech gogogogogo) In past few weeks of fighting, it had become clear to Ake that his war declaration was the right choice. The philosophers were terrible hunters. They lacked the strength to fight, and the will to hold off their attackers. This weakness of will disgusted the great hunter. Luckily, there was a way to solve this problem. Their wills could be "replaced" if they would listen. He would make them listen. (Mil tech, power of the voice to communicate/influence weak willed foreigners.) Commune of the Gods: It had taken forever, but finally there was a reserve of Commeran swan boats on Cheforna's shores. These ships make great accompanying craft to the Chefornak's war canoes, and they are identified with Domnall--their white, cupped nature emblematic of the conch shell, the symbol of the War Child's divinity (1-4, let's naval tech). Belief in the Great Enemy has largely gone quieter and quieter. Rega, least appreciated of the five gods among the Chefornak, has taken a curious turn. All he does now, twenty four hours a day, is bake pies. Pies adorn each windowsill of his house. This rather transparent attempt to become the God of Pies would be a lot more likely to succeed if Rega's pies didn't taste completely awful--filled with white, mineral tooth powder and some afterthought berries. The crust is garnished, of course, with more tooth powder, which burns black in the oven and gives off a chemical smell. Samin, of course, comes by to help his friend in his endeavor every day. The God of False Hope woke up one morning and realized that he had an orange and white monkey's tail, where as, previously, there had been no tail before. He hopes desperately that his mythos isn't getting too convoluted. Phantasmagoria: Hypnosomus rises from his sleep to find Sao diligently tending to his fields as she said she would. What a good girl, he thinks. She truly cares for this garden. (1 Slow Growth Culture) (2 Slow Growth Income) He stretches his mind to look for his few other children who have wandered off into the distance beyond his domain. Ah, there is Mandran, exploring to the north, though he seems to have missed the Katoba's land altogether, and is traveling along the coast. It is just as well; he is still rather wobbly on his legs, and would need more practice before he could approach humans. Lilit has explored far to the south, finding great (3 Military Intelligence) Balna, poor child, tried to swim out to see the Peters. He did not get very far before learning what drowning is. Hypnosomus has now learned too, and will warn his other children. Perhaps he could find water creatures that would become his children too. (4 Navy) Gorash: Songs of Manifest Destiny: With the traitorous rebel bloodlines having been defeated through the power of overwhelming song, all of Gorash did rejoice. The Fields were again sown, now with stronger and improved seeds, tended to by careful Gorashi overseers and their steadfast salamander charges. Given time, these fields saw to produce a bumper crop never before seen in any one place ever before recorded, resulting in a population boom in both the people of Gorash and their now Loyal Salamander Bloodlines. Breathing room began to shrink smaller and smaller until what had once been small villages began to twist and sprawl out into larger and larger towns. Consequentially, the Village Bards began to grow stronger and stronger with every passing moon, much to the dismay of the Bards of the Wild. Under the cover of night, Wilderness Bards decided to descend from their remote hideaways down into the well trodden streets of Gorash's new towns, stirring whispers of adventure, exploration, and wonder in a covert attempt at undermining their Village counterparts. With a flow that started as a trickle, a flood soon burst forth with many Gorashi citizens deciding that their destiny would be to expand and explore rather than watch their new communities grow too close and cluttered for their own good. So began the homesteader movement of Gorash. (1/2/3/4 EXPANSION ) N.B.R.: Following the discovery of something inhabiting the darkened lands around Whenaven, a diplomatic party is sent out to meet this something, and to acquire its services. Kerlioh speculates a connection to the dark moon. (Nonspecific anti-moon people tech 1-3 gogo) A bear walks into a bar. He then declares it open. The New Beary Tavern is considered a sign of the growing peace between the two land based species (income 4) Katoba: His curiosity renewed by the glowing symbols, Otakay resumes his study of his sword. Many nights, blue light can be seen glowing from out of his tent as he attempts to unravel its mysteries. On a whim, he decides to ask the Hypnosomus for help. He sends Chapawee south into the enchanted forest with a charcoal rub of the symbols, and his son Kantana as an escort. He's seen the way the two of them look at each other; if nothing else, this might be a way for them to finally talk to each other. To be young again.... he muses. (Epic Military Tech x2) Meanwhile, several of the elders in the camp have thought of a clever way to transport goods: instead of using sledges, wooden logs could be used to prevent the carts from dragging on the ground. More work is needed. (Expansion Tech x2) Aripa: Without the body, the soul cannot act. Without the heart, the soul cannot fight. After what was reported to be a splendid victory over the disordered barbarians, the Philosopher has decreed a vast increase in military technology research. It is vital that we do not fall prey to the disordered ways of the vile outsiders. (Defensive tech 2) Furthermore there are many who died on the battlefield. Not allowed to mourn, we must fill their place. The younger and more passionate warriors must rise to fight in the stead of the fallen warriors. Let all who stand in the way of order be given order. (Army raise 2) Patrick: The day of The Testing had arrived. Very little was known about the conflict that occurred within the confines of the building created for the event. What is known is that each of the Songbirds entered one at a time. The first to leave was the one known as Falcon. He had sustained a number of injuries, some even serious, around his torso within the last seven minutes of entering the building. Despite the fact that the sight of his injuries was stirring, what was even more revealing were his eyes. He had the look of one haunted by things that should have never been known in the first place. The next to enter was the one known as Raven. Of the three he was probably the most terrifying to those on the island. Although he appeared to carry no weapons on him, he constantly dressed all in black, and he had a way of sneaking up behind anyone and everyone. Surprisingly, the Raven only spent a moment in the tent before leaving once more. It is unsure as to what occurred, but whatever it was it was not to his liking. The last to enter was called Nightingale. She was a tall woman that had once been handsome, her features marred by a series of long scars trailing down the left side of her face. She spent an entire ten minutes within the Building of Testing before emerging. She was covered in sweat and blood, and it was obvious that not all of it was hers. What stood her apart from the others, however, was that on her forehead there was now embedded a new scar as if she had been branded. It took the shape of a thundercloud with a lightning bolt trailing down. In this manner the title for the leaders of the Stormborn was created to be passed to each generation. Nightingale was the first and foremost of The Marked because she was the one to lay the groundwork upon which the others walked. When she emerged from The Testing she came with a new perspective. She believed that the reach of the Stormborn was nowhere near enough, through no fault of any one person, so the next obvious step would be to increase that reach. In this was the first, and one of the most powerful, guilds began to take shape. She poured many resources into building better and faster ship, along with training the new crews to man them. Thankfully, there were plenty of sailors available to spare. (1-4 Naval Military Tech) Results: Peters: 3, 1, 2, 18 (-2 to all rolls due to the presence of the Dark Moon) It was not difficult for the Peters to accept themselves as their own “culture”. After all, every Peter proudly announced that he was Peter to themselves and anyone who would listen, making it incredibly easy to determine who was a Peter and who was not. However, the consequences of what it meant to be Peter was perhaps the more difficult part of the situation. Peter knew that Peter was an exceptional scientist, and Peter knew that he was superior to each other not-Peter, regardless of the group they were from. However, it was only through exposure to these other groups that Peter began to find out what made him unique. Peter had not realized, for example, that Peter actually loved the flavor of the fish that the locals brought to him in exchange for his newest inventions. He had not realized that others could not calculate the distance to some place on the horizon using only the sun. He had not even realized that the lack of hierarchy and egalitarian principles held between Peters were strange to other groups. But now he understood. Peters were all equally superior to others. Peters were intelligent, inventive, and devilishly good looking. For the first time, Peter was more than just a name. Peter was a way of life. (+4 culture) Stahl: 4, 7, 4, 25 The Steel Dragon stared at the Platinum children before him. They appeared deeply immersed in their studies, but he got the strange feeling they were humoring him. Each time he would turn his back to show them proper form of a technique that they were reading about, he would hear a sudden shuffling. Yet even he was not fast enough to realize what was going on. The children found the paper pamphlets in their hand vastly entertaining, and folded them into aerodynamic shapes, which they threw to each other with Stahl strength each time their teacher turned his back. By the end of the session, the Steel Dragon had accumulated a monstrous headache, which prevented him from training with his men. The Long Gang was secretly alright with this- since his proving, the Steel Dragon had been training a little too intensely for the warriors, some of whom now bore lingering dents. (No military raising or military success) Meanwhile, Liu Chii’s expedition was going… interestingly. Heavy Stahl footsteps left the mountains for the first time in their short history, leaving deep markings in the ground behind them in the soft and fertile soil. Were this a normal trip, Liu Chii would have marked this as a disaster- complete lack of mountainous terrain, few available ores, and difficult terrain to travel across. However, Liu Chii had a goal. And after three weeks of hard travel, that glittering sapphire goal stretched out before the eyes of the company like the sky when the Stahl first emerged from the earth. The explorer paused happily. The steelborn had proven an unnecessary measure. But now at least there were more guards at the mining encampments. Now all he had to do was send word back to the goldborn of his success. There was also, of course, the matter of the plants. The fields they had marched through had tall grasses, which coated the Stahl from head to toe in pink, difficult to remove, petals. Originally they had just been a nuisance, but during a sudden storm, Liu Chii had observed that they were exceptional at repulsing water- a trait that they could use to their advantage. (-170 wealth, +5 income, epic tech success get! Need two more.) Skaldaea: 17, 16, 6, 2 Construction rapidly begins on the factories in Tamer’s Shallows, under the guidance of her and Amaranth. They are the first of their kind in Skaldaea, a series of watermills using the power of the rivers to generate the power of a dozen bands. Or at least, that is their design. In reality, there is a problem with the designs- though there are many rivers which flow into Tamer’s Shallows, many of them do not produce the volume of water needed to turn the giant wheels of the factories. In order to breathe life into the manufacturing center, the current design will need to be improved upon. Tamer suggests to Amaranth that they could reduce the intended output of each factory to make the water wheels lighter, but Amaranth insists that they should simply reduce the number of factories and divert the smaller rivers into each other to generate the necessary volume of water. (MOAR SUCCESSES, GIVE THEM TO ME (x2)) In the midst of the trouble with the factories, Amaranth finds himself tied down in Tamer’s Shallows, and unable to complete the paperwork and road design necessary to connect Prathe with the rest of Skaldaea. Moreover, he finds little time to assist Raven with preparation for her proposed synod. The event is tragically underattended, as the few speakers who do arrive at the meeting are able to find common ground to develop a religious base within a mere two days of attendance. These bands, while influential, find themselves too few in number to deal with the fervor growing in the other cities surrounding Reyne worship. (no culture success, no expansion success, -10 wealth) Zinbiel: 2, 15, 14, 4 With the dolphins sent north to treat with the Stahl, the Zinbiel prepare for war as best they can. The nation is scattered and disorganized, and for the most part only pays attention to the rules of the Youngers when they are present. However, the imminent threat of aggressive tamers is enough to get the populace moving. Representatives of the young leaders travel across the countryside, distributing crossbowapults to the unemployed and unoccupied. This body of soldiers is small, but the simple design of the weapons allows them to train with them quickly. This first pair of armies are ready to turn back the tide of birds. (no navy raised, 2 armies raised, -20 income per turn) At the same time, Edu finds himself filled with fear. He really, really didn’t want to die. The shack before him held the youngest tamer that was considered “trainable” by the others. Of course, this meant that there was a chance he could be useful. There was always the off chance that he would either outright kill Edu or that the boy would come to adopt a useless animal. However, one thing was certain- he needed to learn soon. The wordless screaming seemed to carry on without end, as the young tamer desperately sought to escape his prison and find an animal that would be his own. (no army raising success) Akachk: 15, 8, 8, 12 Flesh is so easily parted by the blade. As he stood staring at the obsidian stone, Songi felt himself slowly slipping into a sort of trance, with the purple pulses making the cracks seem to dance before his eyes. Behind him, Asab hurriedly performed the ritual. It would not be long now. The blood of the Akachk sacrifice flowed down from the altar into the pool in the stone. There the life force mingled with the salty sea water, and its deep red spiraled downward. Then, the shaking began. From all sides of the rocky outcrop, massive black tentacles began to rise upward, surrounding the diminutive kobolds. As the appendages come together and form a dome above the group, the light of the Dark Moon is blocked out, and Songi feels the strange trance of apathy pass. In its place, he is filled with a maddening terror. All is dark, and something is terribly wrong. But the words of Asab soon assuage these feelings. “Calm, lad. This is how the Pibon clan made itself great, bringing in all products of the sea. For there are things older than the Dark Moon here, with greater power. Step forward, and be anointed in the Ancient Ways.” With a few blind steps towards the altar, Songi feels a cool and wet touch on the center of his forehead, followed by a warm feeling and the gradual return of his vision. He is encased in a dome of yellow eyes, which cover the length of each tentacle. But he remains calm. Taking Asab’s outstretched hand, he realizes that as long as the price is paid, the Ancient Ways will serve the Akachk. (EPIC TECH GET, the Ancient Ways- +4 naval tech, +3 income, +2 culture) The Okwe expedition, in the meantime, proves to be less of a success. As was common with the obstinate kikadang, the massive beasts refused to move despite the urgings of their handlers, and the expedition did not wind up going much of anywhere. There is more progress in the mines. After much singing of scales, the apprentices have discovered exactly what it is that was combusting so rapidly- clouds of incredibly fine coal dust that build up during the mining process ignite the air when sparked, producing massive fireballs. By putting a small amount of dust into an airtight container with a fuse, a miniature fireball can be created. Simply shake and toss. Sakahi appears momentarily pleased, before returning to his measurements with a glance at the movements of the sun. (+1 military, no expansion, -10 wealth) Commera: 20, 15, 3, 19 The minister’s speech is met with mixed applause. Many had put their stock in the value of these commodities, and spent large amounts of money to get them. Now he was proposing that they had manufactured value. Word quickly spreads through all levels of Commeran society, as the people become aware of the injustice that has been committed against them. Within two days of the address, Governor Conhale’s mailbox is full of mountains of hate mail, ranging from attacks on his character to insults on his book, and even some letters retracting prior party invitations. The lower classes are similarly roused. As one particular shipment of Aripun corn arrived at the docks, a mob stormed the gangplanks and threw the boxes of tasteless produce into the sea. It is a cultural revolution, and the monopolists have no recourse but to concede to the minister’s demands. But while Commerans toast his name across the country, whispers begin to form in the back of meeting halls that he has perhaps grown too comfortable in his position. (+2 income per trade route) Ramkarh: 2, 5, 12, 10 It was not her fault, really. She merely distributed the gift throughout the food, and left. How was Elarin to know how the shit the chefs were on this particular evening? Sure, they may have been unconscious for about five minutes, which may have been detrimental to the cooking, but something must have been going wrong before that point for the braised goat to turn out like it did. The vegetable stew, during their naps, had turned a sickly brown color, and gave off an aroma much like a dying animal. Within seconds of the plates being distributed to the court, they were sent back, tossed to the floor, or fed to the goats. Only the most starving of individuals wound up consuming the tainted creations, ranging from a single noble to about a dozen peasants who ran off with the leftovers. The operation was a complete failure, only mitigated by the fact that about thirty people had received the gift. She would have to try again. (military +1) Kingdom of the Stars: 16, 2, 3, 6 Ogle is incredibly excited when she finds the site that the locals had suggested to her. Collecting iron had been a long honored past time of the poorer of the People, who used the metal to trade for the catch of the larger and more successful hunters. This meant that the poor who the mother looked after had needed increased support as the war had gone on, and now this mine would be their salvation. The openings of the great mineshafts are soon filled with groups of workers that become known as the sootpelts, after the grey powder that comes to coat their furry hides. It provides a new source of armor and weapon materials, though the Kingdom lacks the craftsmen to create them on a large scale. (+3 military) Ake, in the meantime, finds himself without a real source of foreigners to try his will replacement on. The foe had an adamant dedication to recovering the bodies of the fallen, wounded or alive. It had cost them a great number of lives, but the only foreigners that Ake could get his hands on were corpses. If he was determined to fix the situation, he would have to make a more active effort to capture them. (no successes) Commune of the Gods: 3, 15, 2, 15 The Chefornak had never seen a swan before. As such, the majestic ships which come to be known as Domnalls are treated with an utter reverence which would have surprised the gods more if they weren’t so impressed with how they looked in formation. Each swan boat sailed at the head of a dozen canoes, which fanned out into a long v-behind them. It was modelled after, of course, the way swans flew through the sky. Dunlap had insisted on it, and when Samin agreed with him that it would somehow make the ships move faster, it had been decided. More interestingly, it had worked. Something about the formation, as well as a bit of true faith, had done the rest. Soon the V fleets found themselves making constant trips between Cheforna and Remora, transporting Commeran furniture and crafts in exchange for exotic Cheforna produce. It was a prosperity that the gods had not expected, but one that brought them a great deal of praise from their new converts. (+4 naval tech) Phantasmagoria: 9, 1, 10, -1, 17 (-2 to all rolls due to the presence of the Dark Moon) Sao walks long through the garden, admiring the produce of the Morpheons and the Icelos. They have grown much during their brief existences, which she had come to realize is not long at all compared to her father. But she has little time to contemplate her own existence before it appears. The massive beast is a deep crimson, with a head covered in horns which curve forward wickedly, tossing the Morpeons aside like ragdolls. Its six hairy legs each end in a four fingered hand, which it uses to pull down the massive trees and overturn the shrubs in which the notions had been working. Bounding for her life, Sao begins mentally shouting for her father. He must have dozed off, and now this Epiale was rampaging through the forested countryside. If he did not awaken soon, much would be lost. Summoning a gang of Icelos around her, she rides to the grove where she was first awakened. Perhaps at the Branch of First Thought he will be more responsive. (REBELLION! The first Epiale has escaped. -5 income, -2 army cap) Little other news is heard from the children of Hypnosomus, and he does little to add any more to his flock due to his voluntary slumber to avoid the Dark Moon migraines. In the meantime, the spiky plants continue to grow, but do little to slow the rampage of the red Epiale. (+1 military, no other successes) Gorash: 14, 15, 2, 11 The siren song of the swamp is a lure that many of the Village Bards quickly fall prey to, with the dark and mysterious ruins that fill the murk providing inspiration for many stories and songs. The village finds itself quieter and quieter as the explorers leave for parts unknown, and the villagers are overcome with a strange and eerie sense. Gorash are not meant to live in silence. Yet as the Wild Bards lure more and more people away, the quiet grows. Gorash find themselves lacking friends to perform for, and even the humming of a workday ceases in the absence of someone to catch the tune. The final silence is sudden. Like the last gasp of a dying salamander, parts of the village go empty- there are no songs to fill the air, no sound of footsteps from the treehouses above. The remaining villagers crowd together in the center of their village, abandoning their treetop homes to huddle closer and chant ancient hymns in an attempt to ward off that which lurks in silence. In the abandoned treehouses, the bodies of the Gorash quietly rot, tainted by an evil that even the flies will not touch. (2 expansions get!- -40 wealth, +10 income. Cannot expand again until +5 military researched) N.B.R.: 10, 3, -1, 17 (-2 to all rolls due to the presence of the Dark Moon) Without a real understanding of what they are trying to communicate with, Kerlioh suggests a series of gifts be brought with the ambassadors, which will help to facilitate a peaceful exchange. The party that is sent out is composed of four of the NBR’s personal family, as well as a pair of diplomats selected by Raddomn himself. Sir Snufflebottom suggests these bears because they are the furriest, and will be able to snuggle the diplomats to protect them from the cold, saving space otherwise used on masses of bedrolls. Raddomn just sends people who will tolerate the smell. Together they depart to the south and east, following the trails left by the city refugees and trailing a massive sled of food and rare seashells. On the fourth day of travel, the come across the first of the victims’ remains- a series of black and blue corpses covered in claw marks. The bears are confused, as there is no smell to follow nor is there any bite marks, but the evidence of an attack by some kind of animal is evident. They decide to continue on their path southward, seeking some kind of answer. Instead, they find a vast sheet of ice, that even the claws of the bears cannot dig into. Each attempt to step out onto the ice is met with a great gust of wind, pushing them back to its edge. Deciding that it is futile to proceed, they make their camp at its edge. As the light of the Dark Moon rises across the horizon, they find it hard to sleep, as the surface of the ice reflects the brilliant purple flawlessly, somehow even brighter than the Dark Moon itself. Late into the night, a loud CRACK rings out through the frozen air, accompanied by the sound of a chilling series of howls and growling. But bears are heavy sleepers, and the humans could do little to rouse them, buried as they were beneath their fuzzy arms. The party is slain in seconds, their bodies and belongings untouched; save for the deep wounds and blood that stains the snow. (-20 wealth due to the lost offering, -2 to next expansion roll due to fear of the unknown) Oblivious to the horror beyond their borders, the New Beary Tavern opens to great success, and quickly becomes famous for its bearstand bowl, in which anyone, bear or human, can attempt to chug as much of a massive pressurized barrel of alcohol as they can while being held in a handstand. Vomiting and awesome parties abound in equal parts in the insanely popular tavern. (+3 income) Katoba: 1, 11, -1, 14 (-1 to all rolls due to the presence of the Dark Moon) The Katoban youths head south into Phantasmagoria to find a massive path of destruction. The Epiale had destroyed much of the forest that they once knew, and though they travelled for days, they could find no morpheons, or icelos, or even inhabited animals to speak with. In desperation, they wordlessly set up their tent in the midst of the ruination. As the night grows long, Chapawee turns to Kantana and asks “Do you think he’s okay?” He takes a long pause. “Probably. You said he is big, and strong? He will be fine.” She nods at this, then moves closer to him and the fire, “That’s good. I want him to be alright. Will you watch the fire tonight?” “Sure. I will wake you when I go to sleep.” (No successes) Meanwhile, the Katoba realize an immediate problem with their log-rolling solution. Without a new source of wood, there are not enough logs to both move heavy objects while also maintaining the massive bonfires needed to keep them safe. If they are to make any internal improvements, they will need to find a new source of firewood. Despite this, they manage to salvage what they have and press eastward. (EXPANSION GET, -20 wealth, +5 income) (No income rolls or meta tech until another successful expansion, which costs double) Philosopher’s Children: 18, 19, 13, 5 The children of the Philosopher quickly adopt the teachings hands down to them. After the tragic defeat during the first battle, they were certain to reinforce their dedication to order. The skirmishing of the Kingdom of the Stars had brought disorder to their ranks and it had been their defeat. Now, they had structure. The militiamen who had first fought were all volunteers who had, for the most part, organized themselves. Now it was required for any and all fighting men to register with an outpost within the kingdom, so that they might better fight as a unit and be assembled more quickly. In the end, the forces of the Philosopher are a paragon of corps organization, and a fearsome defensive force. (+8 defensive tech) They first test this new organization system by summoning a militia from the northern farmlands. All manner of pikemen, archers, and alchemists arrive assembled from farmers, hunters and potion sellers, ready to fight in the defense of their homeland and repulse the invading armies. (1 army raised, -10 income) Stormborn: 15, 14, 13, 16 Through a series of volunteering, drafting, and coercion, Nightingale came to amass the greatest number of Stormborn working towards a single goal since they had first come from the Storm. Each and every one of the sailors is taught the ins and outs of sailing, to the point that each could captain a ship of their own if they were given the chance. From the basics of knowing each knot to the intricacies of navigation, the Songbirds educate the novice populace. For many, it is a confusing experience. They could already dance across the water’s surface when they were in the mood, and with focus they could dive beneath the waves. Yet now came drudgery and routine, an unhappy sort of work, for which they needed the hulls of ships. It was unclear which caused the other- the ships the mood or the mood the ships, but once the routine had been established, it was evident that the Stormborn would not quickly turn from the sailing life that they had started upon. But if this was the life that the Songbirds would have for them, they would be damn good at it. (+6 naval bonus) Battles: Battle of the Walls: Children of the Philosopher (18+8)(1/2) FATIGUED, (14+8)(1/2) FATIGUED, 17+8= 49 Kingdom of the Stars 18 +5, 10+5,= 38 Ake is a clever hunter. He knows that sometimes when the beast retreats to its lair, you must do more than wait for it to come back out. Sometimes you must smoke it out. Deciding that the foe has been silent for too long, he orders his hunters to begin volleying javelins with burning rags tied to them over the walls of the City. Though they often fall uselessly upon stone walls or gravel walkways, the number of wagons they set aflame and casualties the unaimed spears cause is disturbing to the Philosopher’s children. As they begin to surrender the houses behind the walls as casualties of the war, they decide something must be done. The militia raised in the northern fields is perhaps the most well suited to fight. Unlike the citizens of the City, they have spent their lives outside doing hard work, toning their bodies to be able to wield the tools of war. The orders are given for them to march southward and flank the invaders, as the armies of the City attempt to march out the gates into the enemy. They realize that this time, it does not matter the casualties that they take. They must end the siege. As the gate opens, Ake is filled with a brutal excitement. He knows that his prey will be weakened by the previous fight, and based on their prior incompetence this should be an easy fight. Summoning forth his skirmishers, they pause for a moment to let a good number of the philosopher soldiers out of the city before raining the javelins down upon them. Much like the first time, the bodies begin to fall rapidly before onslaught. However, Ake realizes that the corned prey is still dangerous. Rather than flee back into the walls, the philosopher’s armies push forward at the skirmishers, sending them running backwards. So aggressive is the charge that only a few more volleys can be spared before the real fight begins. Spear and swords clash as the armies fall upon each other. The People tear through the armies of the Philosopher, using their teeth and claws in tandem with their spears and swords. Yet their success is short lived. Becoming engaged was all that the flanking militia needed to succeed. Cresting a hill to the north, the fresh soldiers launch a massive charge, spears forward in a spiked wall. They crash into the side of the furred invaders, inflicting heavy casualties in the first moments. Ake is furious. The armies at his front are so battered and beaten, but his people are falling fast to the newer and more competent militiamen. He will have to call a retreat. After a long day of battle, the armies of the Kingdom of the Stars are pushed out of the borders of the Philosopher’s land. For the Philosopher’s children it is a joyous day. Yet they know that they will need to be prepared for such an invasion in the future, and through proper diplomacy, avoid such situations. Ake’s soldiers lick their wounds beyond the borders of the Kingdom, waiting for the hunter’s next orders. Category:Nationbuilder VII Turn Records